Rail-support.



. N. JACOB RAIL SUPPORT. APPLICATION FILED 0OT.29,1907.

Patented Nov. 1?, 1908.

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1/ names T. N. JACOB.

RAIL SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED 001'. 29,1907.

Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

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T. N. JACOB.

RAIL SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 29,1907.

904,438. Patented Nov. 17,1908.

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THOMAS N. JACOB, OF EAST ST. LOUIS, ILLINOIS.

RAIL-SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

Application filed October 29, 1907. Serial No. 399,658.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I. THOMAS N. JACOB, a citizen of the United States,residing at East St. Louis, in the conntyof St. Clair and State ofIllinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rail-Supports, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rail supports for railways, the object of theinvention being to provide a substitute for the wooden tie or sleepernow in common use, which will be practically indestructible, not beingaffected by fire or water, at the same time forming a practical andthorough support for the '15 rails so that the load carried thereby isevenly and uniformly distributed throughout the entire roadbe By meansof the construction hereinafter described a more perfect alinemcnt ofthe rails is obtained, the spreading of the rails is prevented and thecost of placing of the track reduced to a minimum. The improved supportshereinafter described are applicable to any track and may be substitutedfor the ties, as the latter decay or become unfit for further use, thusgetting all of the service out of the old ties. The na- 'ture of thesupports is such also that the strain on the rails is reduced, therebyenabling lighter rails to be used, and in this connection it may also benoted that old rails may be utilized as seats or reinforcements for thesupports of this invention.

With the above and other objects in view,

the nature of which will more full appear as the description proceeds,the invention consists in the novel construction, combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of asection of a railway bed showing the improved supports applied to therails. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section through one of the railsshowing one of the supports, and indicating-the ballast in dotted lines.Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same. Fig. l is a crosssection through oneof the supports showing the manner of reinforcing the same. Fig. 5 is aside elevation of a portion of the track. Fig. 6 is an end view of oneof the rail supports. Fig. 7 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 8 is aperspective view of a rail support of modified form.

The rail support of this invention consists of a block 1 composed mainlyof concrete and comprising a bottom 2, reversely inclined opposite sides3 which converge up wardly and a flat top 4. The block is substantiallysquare or rectangular in plan and under the preferred embodiment of thisinvention, in the formation or molding of the block, reinforcing bars orrods 5 are inserted therein, the same extending in hor zontal tiers,.oneabove the other. both lengthwise and transversely of the block, asindicated in Fig. 4. thereby obtaining a practically in destructiblerail support. A metal rail seat (3 forms the upper face of the block andmay consist of a rail or section of channel iron or I-beam as indicatedin Figs. r and (3, the upper face of said rail seat lying flush with thecorresponding face of the supporting block, while the remainder of suchrail or iron is embedded in the concrete of which the block is formed,as shown in several figures of the drawings.

Under the arrangement shown in Fig. l. the rail seat is provided 'alongone side with aflange 7 against which the outer edge of the railroadrail bears, as shown in Fig. I"). and the rail seat is further providedwith a downwardly extending wedge or flange-S which is embedded andfastened in the concrete block.

Tl e blocks or supports herein above described, are arranged fairlyclose together as indicated in Figs. 3 and 5, and it will be noted thatthe ail seats (3 project at their opposite ends beyond the correspondingends of the supporting blocks 1 so as to provide for inserting bolts 9through such projecting ends of the rail seat and through the baseflange of the rail. and in this connection it is to be noted that theopenings for said bolts in the projecting ends of the rail seats areelongated or made in the form of slots to allow for the necessaryexpansion and contraction of the rails.

1O designates aseries of tie bars or rods which extend across theroadbed from rail to rail. each of said tic bars being provided withterminal hooks bent back as shown clearly in Fig. 2 to engage theflanges of the rails. the tie bars extending beneath the rails and thehooks projecting upward so as to lie over and against the outer flangeof the rail. The tie bars are accurately formed and constitute gages forproperly positioning the rails at the proper distance apart. Bolts orscrews ll are inserted through the inner flanges of the rails downwardthrough the tie bars 10, the tie bars 10 being by prefer-- ence providedwith threaded openings to receive the threads of the bolts and beingfurther provided with holes to receive cotter pins 12 which prevent saidbolts from working loose. Lock nuts 13 will preferably be used inconnection with the bolts 9 to prevent the latter from Working loose.After the construction of the roadbed is completed, ballast ispreferably laid over the tie bars or rods 10 up to the level indicatedat 14 in Fig. 2, so that in case of possible derangement of a car thetie bars will be protected from injury.

Under the preferred embodiment of the invention, the projecting ends ofthe rail seats 6 are set a suflicient distance apart to permit the endsof the tie bars 10 to pass between them in the manner indicated in Figs.3 and 5, so as to lie in close engagement with the base flanges of therail. The blocks are then set so as to bring the projecting ends of therail seats in contact with the opposite side edges of the tie bars 10,although this last named arrangement is not essential in practicing theinvention.

Another form of support is illustrated in Fig. 8, said supportconsisting of an arcuate sheet metal plate 15 or in other words, a plateof iron or steel rolled into the segment of a circle and bolted orotherwise fastened to the flange of the rail which is supported thereby.If desired, the rail support 15 may be cast. \Vith either form of railsupport, however, the rails are tied together by means of the tie barsinterposed between each pair of supports, thus maintaining the aljnementof the rails and preventing possibility of the rails spreading.

The blocks are preferably concaved at the 40 bottom as shown in Fig. 6in order to enable them to be the more securely anchored in the ballast,to prevent lateral slipping thereof.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new isa 1. A railway roadbed embodying track rails, series of supportingblocks underlying the rails and arranged in opposite pairs, eachsupporting block comprising a rail seat with ends which project beyondthe ends of the block, fastening bolts passing through the rail flangesand said projecting ends of the rail seats, and tie bars connecting therails at and arranged in opposite pairs, rail seats fastened to theblocks and projecting at opposite ends beyond said blocks, means forsecuring the rails to said rail seats, tie bars" connecting the railsbetween the pairs of supporting blocks, said tie [bars having terminalhooks which engage the base flanges of the rails, and fastenings passingthrough the rail flanges and tie bars.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 75 in presence of twowitnesses.

THOMAS N. J ACOB. Witnesses:

GEo. G. OTEY, H. P. LAMASTER. I

roadbed embodying track

